Thanksgiving: One of the greatest, most lasting of all American traditions. Among all the hustle and bustle and constant stress of American life, we designate one day to give thanks for everything that we’ve been given and look back upon our past, commemorating it with a feast of epic proportions, and all the while spending time with those we love.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of the new century, we have lost sight of this great American tradition, and in its place we have decided to feast upon our desires of one of the ugliest aspects of the American spirit: greed. Many Americans choose to take to the department stores and hoard as many items into their grocery carts as possible, while trying not to get trampled, or “accidentally” stamp on someone. This transpires just after they stuff their bellies full of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes lathered in gravy, without paying any thought or having any appreciation for the true reason for their feast.
It is incredibly ironic to engage in this lavish behavior immediately following a night that was supposed to be spent giving thanks for all that we have. To go out and splurge in the wee hours of the morning is a direct contradiction of this holiday’s purpose. Thanksgiving is supposed to be spent with loved ones, reflecting upon all that you are thankful for in your life, not spent thinking about how you can accumulate more and more stuff.
In addition to this, people fail to realize the sacrifice that many make to make your late night shopping spree possible. While you were enjoying the perks of Turkey day, and indulging in comfort foods, the people who work at Walmart and Target spent their Thanksgiving evening laboring to stock the shelves and open their doors for you.
This year, several stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Staples and REI have made the decision to stay closed for Thanksgiving Day. This is an excellent decision that will hopefully help influence individuals to stay with family instead of venturing out to get all of the great deals. Despite this, it is still all up to the consumers. As long as there is money to be made, most department stores will choose to capitalize on it instead of losing money. But if enough people decide that shopping on Thanksgiving is wrong and stay home, more stores will keep closed and their employees will be able to spend that time with their families as well.
Next time you’re considering going Black Friday shopping, just remember the true purpose of Thanksgiving, and the people who gave up that special time so you could rampage their shelves for that “super important” on-sale item.